Slow Havamal: 49

In the 49th verse, Odin gives his clothes to a pair of scarecrows he encounters in a field. They think they’re human once clothed. Nakedness makes a man feel ashamed.

The Old Norse word translated as scarecrows actually means something like “tree men” or “wooden men,” which may be religious idols, Crawford notes, but a scarecrow is a convenient modern image: a man-like figure dressed up to appear human. The sense I get is that a traveler feels sorry for a couple of poor wretches and gives what he can barely spare to grant them a basic dignity.( Read more... )

Calling all ARC Readers! Free Fantasy Fiction Ebook

Are you interested in fantasy fiction? This is an open call for ARC readers. An ARC (advance review copy) is an ebook send out for free to readers willing to leave a review on Amazon on the day of release. As a first-time author, reviews are especially important because not many people are liable to purchase a book from an unknown author with no reviews. You get a free ebook, I get some credibility, we both win.

Chronicles of the Ancient Sea Kings

This is the first book in an epic portal fantasy series, though I’d say it’s more of a character-driven adventure that happens to fall within the fantasy genre. It has NO dragons, magical swords, elves, etc. There is far less action than something like Lord of the Rings. It contains language and themes that might offend anyone who isn’t pretty thick-skinned. My wife says it’s better-suited to men in general, or women who routinely enjoy this genre. And it is over 700 print pages long. Please be aware of this and set your expectations accordingly.

Blurb:

A pair of aimless Navy vets wash up in a world as baffling as the civilian one when their boat sinks off the coast of Antarctica. It’s cold, but not as cold as it should be. There’s no food, no water, no chapstick. Nothing but a 15th century map purporting to show the southern continent centuries before its discovery. Their hopes of a quick rescue recede with the ice as someone jacks their clothes and they find the stark land inhabited by some pretty not-chill dudes.

Each encounter is a clue that raises more questions than they have time to answer in the mad scramble for survival. And none of it matters: not the strange customs that obligated a geriatric Reverse-Eskimo to help them. The wooden museum vessels full of foul sailors. The murmurs of unrest across the seas. All they want is a boat home—any boat. But first, they must travel to the end of the world to find out where they are.

Release date: August 1, 2022

Please only request a copy if you intend to leave an honest review on the release date. I don’t require you to sing the book’s praises if you don’t like it. However, if you would give it 1 or 2 stars, I’ll allow for you to submit your feedback to me privately (I still want to hear it!) if you choose.

And feel free to forward this invitation to any family and friends you think would be interested. Thank you in advance for taking the time to help a new author get reviews!

To claim your copy: Reply in the comments, or send me a private message on Dreamwidth, with the email address where you want the file sent, and whether you prefer Epub or PDF. I can also rig up a mobi, but the other two versions were done by a professional and I can only guarantee the quality of those, not the mobi.

OR: Visit Booksprout. https://booksprout.co/reviewer/review-copy/view/81153/chronicles-of-the-ancient-sea-kings

Anyone who posts a review will be invited back as an ARC reader for future installments.

New Blog

A couple of announcements. First, I've started a new home for my blogging over at my author site. I plan to ramp up my posting at ancientseakings.com/ on a wide range of topics, including short fiction, nonfiction essays, and whatever else happens to interest me. However, I will continue to operate this Dreamwidth blog as a place to put any odds and ends that don't fit in what I plan to be a very odd place. I'll also continue to post my weekly Havamal series here.

The second announcement is more of a confirmation of the obvious. I haven't posted an installment of my reread of Wild Signs and Star Pats in a while. That's because I simply haven't consistently found the time to do the reading, get outside and observe, and write about it. I recommend anyone who is interested buy the book and undertake their own study, which will be far more rewarding than reading any essay. I'm still deeply interested in Gooley's work and will continue to practice it as time permits, it just won't be chronicled on this blog.